New to the CPAP

[TowneSA]

I've been on my CPAP now for about 30 days. I have the Respironics DS560S. It is set at 12cm and has a ramp feature. I use a full face mask and have am having a couple of issues:

The first
couple of nights I used the machine I felt better during the day but now I feel as tired or maybe even more tired than before I got the machine

1.) I wake up several times a night because of leaks usually around the bridge of my nose.
2.) I become congested most nights and breath through my mouth, my mouth becomes so dry I wake up. I do use the humidifier.
3.) Who verifies the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing for me. My GP is the one that sent me for a sleep study but another doctor actually read the results and prescribed the CPAP and settings. It is running through my insurance but was a purchase of the machine and not a lease/rental.

I'll have more questions so bare with me please.

[palerider]

so bare with me please.

I'm sorry, I don't know you well enough to get bare with you!!!

[TowneSA]

so bare with me please.

I'm sorry, I don't know you well enough to get bare with you!!!

LOL. Ok, at least there is some humor.

[palerider]

so bare with me please.

I'm sorry, I don't know you well enough to get bare with you!!!

LOL. Ok, at least there is some humor.

eh, I try... some around here seem to have misplaced their senses of humor some years ago... but, that's neither here nor there.

first, please fix your selected equipment in your profile, pick this one:
PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
because you've got the wrong one selected.

1.) I wake up several times a night because of leaks usually around the bridge of my nose.
2.) I become congested most nights and breath through my mouth, my mouth becomes so dry I wake up. I do use the humidifier.
3.) Who verifies the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing for me. My GP is the one that sent me for a sleep study but another doctor actually read the results and prescribed the CPAP and settings. It is running through my insurance but was a purchase of the machine and not a lease/rental.

1) look for 'mask liners', they help muffle and tame leaks, and many people find them a godsend for nasal and ffmasks.
2) I don't have a great suggestion for that, though others have suggestions, also searching for 'dry mouth' will net you a host of entries, searching this site through google by putting "site:cpaptalk.com dry mouth" in your google search bar will get better results than using the search here.
3) honestly? probalby nobody except yourself, most times the official medical community only gives a shit as to whether you USE the machine enough that your insurance will cough up the money for them.... it's up to you to learn about it, and download sleepyhead (see link in my sig) and evaluate your own data (read the first stickied announcement on the front page of the forum)

[Julie]

You should try turning the humidifier down, because it's likely causing congestion, thus the need for your mouth to open and get dried out. Not necessarily logical, but it's common.

[TowneSA]

so bare with me please.

I'm sorry, I don't know you well enough to get bare with you!!!

LOL. Ok, at least there is some humor.

eh, I try... some around here seem to have misplaced their senses of humor some years ago... but, that's neither here nor there.

first, please fix your selected equipment in your profile, pick this one:
PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
because you've got the wrong one selected.

1.) I wake up several times a night because of leaks usually around the bridge of my nose.
2.) I become congested most nights and breath through my mouth, my mouth becomes so dry I wake up. I do use the humidifier.
3.) Who verifies the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing for me. My GP is the one that sent me for a sleep study but another doctor actually read the results and prescribed the CPAP and settings. It is running through my insurance but was a purchase of the machine and not a lease/rental.

1) look for 'mask liners', they help muffle and tame leaks, and many people find them a godsend for nasal and ffmasks.
2) I don't have a great suggestion for that, though others have suggestions, also searching for 'dry mouth' will net you a host of entries, searching this site through google by putting "site:cpaptalk.com dry mouth" in your google search bar will get better results than using the search here.
3) honestly? probalby nobody except yourself, most times the official medical community only gives a shit as to whether you USE the machine enough that your insurance will cough up the money for them.... it's up to you to learn about it, and download sleepyhead (see link in my sig) and evaluate your own data (read the first stickied announcement on the front page of the forum)

Thanks for the advice, had not heard of the liners. Will try them for sure. Also will try the software. But don't go thinking we are going steady now!

[palerider]

But don't go thinking we are going steady now!

well, ok, I'll be patient *bats eyelashes*

I like the avatar, btw *grins*

[Pugsy]

What setting are you currently using on your humidifier and are you using the heated hose that is optional with your machine?
If unsure...the heated hose has a black coupling on the end where it attaches to your humidifier.
Those machines without the heated hose and the default setting that it comes at doesn't offer a whole lot of humidity even at maximum setting depending on where you live..now if you have the heated hose you have some additional options that might help with the nasal congestion if it is from the humidity...some people get congested with too much humidity and some get congested with too little humidity. It helps to know which setting you are using now to get an idea which way to go and especially if you are using heated hose because that little knob only changes temperature and not humidity when the heated hose is attached.

[TowneSA]

What setting are you currently using on your humidifier and are you using the heated hose that is optional with your machine?
If unsure...the heated hose has a black coupling on the end where it attaches to your humidifier.
Those machines without the heated hose and the default setting that it comes at doesn't offer a whole lot of humidity even at maximum setting depending on where you live..now if you have the heated hose you have some additional options that might help with the nasal congestion if it is from the humidity...some people get congested with too much humidity and some get congested with too little humidity. It helps to know which setting you are using now to get an idea which way to go and especially if you are using heated hose because that little knob only changes temperature and not humidity when the heated hose is attached.

Negative on the heated hose. I'm using the setting of 3.

[Pugsy]

Okay...no heated hose...one more question...are you becoming more congested at night now with cpap or was this a problem prior to cpap therapy as well?
So is the congestion new or something you just have always had happen at night?

[TowneSA]

Okay...no heated hose...one more question...are you becoming more congested at night now with cpap or was this a problem prior to cpap therapy as well?
So is the congestion new or something you just have always had happen at night?

Have always had it, just not as severe as with the machine.

[Krelvin]

3.) Who verifies the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing for me. My GP is the one that sent me for a sleep study but another doctor actually read the results and prescribed the CPAP and settings. It is running through my insurance but was a purchase of the machine and not a lease/rental.

With the machine you have, you can monitor your own therapy. Pickup a copy of Sleephead and start checking out your data to see how you are doing.

[TowneSA]

3.) Who verifies the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing for me. My GP is the one that sent me for a sleep study but another doctor actually read the results and prescribed the CPAP and settings. It is running through my insurance but was a purchase of the machine and not a lease/rental.

With the machine you have, you can monitor your own therapy. Pickup a copy of Sleephead and start checking out your data to see how you are doing.

You say pick up a copy?
Is it a link? And is it compatible with 8.1 OS

[Julie]

You can DL SH free from Pugsy's signature line and it does work with Wins and Macs, tho' other programs don't do Mac.

[englandsf]

8.1 is an iPhone/iPad OS number - the app needs a Mac or PC with Mac with OS X 10.10